In The Dragone Age We Stand
by ProudPrussian
Summary: A collection of short stories created from the prompts from the "Modern Character in Thedas Challenge (2k19)".
1. spirit

_A/N: This is definitely not a part of the canon of my MGIT/MCIT story, but it was fun to write regardless! Might try and explore some of these aspects in the future since I think it's absolutely fascinating._

* * *

It wasn't as green as what I had initially thought, nor was it as if my vision was blurring around the edges.

It wasn't until I came across a sleeping mage that I realised I couldn't feel my own body, it was as if I had been untethered and I should have been left to wander. It was incredibly disconcerting and if I had the need to breathe I would have been hyperventilating. The Fade was the only thing that I could take in and it only bolstered my confusion at the situation.

As it was, I had no need to breathe but the mage in from of me was now staring right into what I assumed to be my eyes.

"I need help."

The voice that came out when I spoke wasn't something I recognised, it was almost lyrical as if I were singing softly instead of speaking normally.

"What did you need help with?"

It wasn't in my nature, even when I wasn't this to turn away someone in need. But I wasn't Compassion, that I knew even in that moment.

"I need to create a great piece of art."

I couldn't help but take in a large gulp of the Fade in an attempt at calming myself.

The mage had continued as if I had not spaced out from the conversation.

"…It is meant to hang in the grand ballroom in Halamshiral and it is to be presented to the Empress in a months time and yet I lack the creativity to complete such a grand project. But you! You would be able to help me! To see where I have been going wrong!"

The mage had gotten down onto their hands and knees, begging me to help.

"I cannot stand in the way of Creativity, it is always something that needs to be expressed."

The mage looked up at me, tears streaming from eyes full of hope.

"Yes, I will help you."

Creativity wasn't one to be quashed regardless of circumstance, even when the one that they found themselves in to be the strangest one yet.


	2. magic

_A/N:This is a part of the canon of The New World State._

* * *

For the first time since entering this world, I had begun my period. Not just a nice, light flow but a really crappy cramptastic field day with blood that never seemed to end.

And it sucked dragon shit.

There didn't really seem to be a readily available method of pain relief or at least one that wasn't exclusive to the Chantry or being sold for stupid expensive amounts of gold. The herbal remedy that Leandra had offered to me could only do so much and it didn't take the pain away for very long.

I attempted to go back into my old routine of almost contortionist like yoga posing, but in this elvhen body, it did barely anything. Also, I had heard horror stories from my mother about having to wash the bloodied clothes after each bleed and I had been thankful for the invention of pads and tampons, but that was a luxury I no longer had access to anymore.

I suffered with the pain until Bethany and Hafren pulled me aside into a corner where both Carver and their mother would be able to bother us.

"Father came up with a solution for us when we first flowered," Was the first thing that came out of Bethany's mouth. "If you're willing to listen, we'll tell you."

Hafren took over from where her younger sister trailed off, seemingly lost in her own thoughts.

"You see, it's a little bit illegal."

"It's completely illegal, Wren-wren."

(Another bird that Hafren Hawke would be referred to as in the future apart from the aforementioned hawk.)

"Oh right, absolutely illegal and will definitely have the Chantry after you."

"And the Templars."

"Even more so than for just being an apostate."

It was moments like these that I wondered if Hafren and Bethany were the twins rather than Carver and Bethany.

Warily I stared at them, "And this solution would be?"

"Blood magic." Were the words stated in back to me in unison with the other.

Of course, it was blood magic.

Why wouldn't the solution be blood magic?

"How on earth did your father figure that out?"

The two sisters looked at each, clearly wondering whether or not to share that story before coming to an agreement that I wasn't privy to.

"Apparently it's a secret passed down amongst members of the circle."

Hafren grinned as she spoke, clearly delighting in the fact that even the mages right under the Chantry's nose were doing something illegal.

"Not just women either."

"That's nice of them." I couldn't help but grumble, causing Bethany to grin. There wasn't anything nice about the Circle.

Hafren leant up against the wall, hands curling around her staff.

"Do you want to learn or not?"

I nodded. I did want to learn.

"I'll get my staff."

Bethany shook her head, "No need."

In the next twenty or so minutes, the two sisters showed me how to manipulate the blood within in me safely without having to actually draw any blood out of my body. It was sort of like how I used to place a warm compress on my stomach but instead, it was my hand lit with blue and purple light.

The pain, which I was getting used to started to fade away. Not all at once, but gradually enough until it was faint and almost non-existent.

I started to laugh, "Thank you!"

"No problems."

Hafren smiled at me, walking towards the door. Bethany, however, stayed behind.

"Just don't tell mother. She doesn't know about this at all." Bethany had a wicked grin stretched across her young face, "Father never thought about telling her either. Said that it was our little secret."

"Fair enough."

I suppose in this way magic is definitely serving the person rather than ruling over the person.


	3. terrible

_A/N:This is a part of the canon of The New World State. (And I found it incredibly difficult to write about everything going wrong. So this was a nice challenge, which is the whole point of this series.)_

* * *

I woke with a start, my hand reaching across the bed frantically searching for my better half. The other side of the bed was cold, blankets had been pushed to the side in an attempt at warming me up.

Zevran wasn't there and hadn't been for some time according to the cold side of the bed.

Opening my eyes, blurry at first until they gradually cleared to see a grey sky and pouring rain outside the window. Lightning struck a tree outside of the cottage and it split into pieces.

It burst into flames.

Lovely.

This was turning out to be an absolutely _brilliant_ start to an already shaky day.

The first thing I had to do was to put the fire out and with no cloak in sight, I stumbled out of the building in my sleeping clothes. Magic would have been easier, but with how the morning had started I felt like that was just tempting fate.

Grabbing a bucket that had been steadily filling itself with water from the storm, I poured it over the burning stumps that had now turned to charcoal. Zevran and I were set for writing materials for a bit then; sending letters could get expensive if you couldn't quite afford proper ink.

There was another loud cracking noise, but it wasn't a tree being split in half but a tree falling directly onto the roof of the cottage.

As if it was almost an out of body experience, but one moment I was watching the tree fall and the next I was holding it up with a field of magic. I'm not sure when I grabbed my scythe, but it was what was helping me control the force field.

Gently I moved the fallen tree out of the way, thankful that no one else lived in this area as it would have flattened several of the smaller huts and possibly even crushed some of the local children to death.

The cottage was far enough out of the way that people didn't bother us, even if the local villagers knew that two veterans of the Blight lived there and knew about the magic.

Those that were travelling through didn't know of our reputation.

"**_APOSTATE_**_!_"

The voice was full of contempt, angry and self-righteous. A roving templar had clearly seen me use magic.

"I bet you caused this storm! You fucking apostate _knife-ear!_"

_Great_. Racist and bigoted.

I would have felt that Smite from a kilometre away, all of my nerves felt like they were on fire and I would have blacked out if not for the strike of lightning flaying another tree behind the templar who had rushed at me.

Nerves still on fire I rolled to the side just in time as a heavy lyric infused blade slammed into the ground where my head was. Magic was out of the question at this point, the connection to fade was temporarily cut off due to the smite but my scythe wasn't just used for magic.

It was a _scythe_ for a reason.

The Templar wasn't expecting me to fight back, kicking out at the templars heavy armour and knocking them to their knees. Another swing, this time of the scythe connected with the templars neck.

A quick beheading, but now there was a giant mess to clean up even with the storm going on around me. And I was still in my bedclothes.

A fire spell made quick work of the body, after being stripped for anything valuable at least. I bag of gold, a templars journal and some orders from their Knight-Commander and a lovely thick woollen cloak that I immediately put on.

The storm raged on.

My stomach quickly reminded me that I hadn't eaten anything and that I had just spent the last hour battling the elements and then a templar.

Fried eggs seemed like the best option, but even that seemed to go wrong. Attempting the crack the eggs with nerves still on fire was not the best idea I had ever had, but I could deal with a few bits of shell in my fried eggs if it meant that something would go right that morning.

The fire kept going out the moment it got slightly too hot, and I couldn't even magic fire with my fade connection still shot.

I burst into tears.

Mallorn Tuile, Veteran of the Fifth Blight, Wandering Keeper of the Elvhenan and The Reaper crying over broken eggs.

That is how Zevran found me, crying over the top of a fire that refused to stay lit, with three cracked eggs in a pan still in sleep clothes, a looted cloak wrapped around my shoulders with my bloodied scythe laying on the ground beside me.

"_Mi amore!_"

He rushed over, checking me over for any injuries.

"I was only gone for an hour! What happened?"

I blubbered out an answer, not even sure if I said anything other than the words _'eggs'_ but Zevran seemed to get the idea.

"_Darling_, we'll go into the village and have breakfast."

From behind his back, he pulled out a bouquet of Crystal Grace.

"Might this help?"

I gave a weak chuckle, "Thank you, lovely birdy."

He gave me a kiss on the cheek, then on my lips.

"Maybe you should get dressed, then we'll go."

The rest of the day surely wouldn't go any worse than it already it.

_Right?_


	4. warden

_A/N: This is a part of the canon of The New World State. Mostly. I think._

_I'm honestly surprised at how quickly this one was written, and it is something that I really want to expand upon but I feel it's going to be something in the main story rather than just as a one-shot or as part of this series._

_Also, two chapters in one night? Shocking_!

* * *

I stared up at the almost foreboding entrance to the new Fereldan Grey Warden Headquarters at Amaranthine.

Kana had sent a letter, asking for both myself and Zevran, but the other elf had things to do and people to kill in his quest to rid the world of the Antivan Crows or at least remake them in a better way.

The guard at the entry halted her entrance.

"I've been sent for."

The guard sneered, the French-Orlesian accent something that I still wasn't used to. "And who would send for you?"

A cool voice sounded from behind him.

"I would, and Captain Beauvais I would appreciate it if you did not look down your nose at any of our visitors regardless of perceived race or gender."

Beauvais paled behind his helmet, "Yes, Warden-Commander Mahariel. It won't happen again!"

"See that it doesn't."

The glare that Kana gave the guard sent him running back to his post. I couldn't help but snicker at the action, causing the Hero of Fereldan to look over at me in amusement.

"Orlesians, am I right?"

"To tell you the truth, I haven't really met a lot of them but they do have a _certain_ reputation."

We stared at each other in comfortable silence, before embracing each other in a hug.

"It's been too long."

I threw back my head in a laugh, "It's only been six months."

She led me inside the fortress, the gates closing behind us with a thud.

"Yes, but it's been a long six months. Much has happened and I really need to opinions of a friend that isn't Oghren."

_Awakenings_ must have already happened then or it was happening at that moment. I had been there for _Witch_ _Hunt_, so it couldn't have been about Morrigan and her shenanigans.

"What do you need help with?"

"Darkspawn."

I stared at her incredulously, stopping in my tracks.

"You're the Grey Warden, Kana. Not me."

"Yes, but you know stuff." She looked much like the young adult that she was and not the hardened warrior that the Fifth Blight had forced her to become. "I thought you might know about _this_."

"Talking Darkspawn? Or Ancient talking Darkspawn?"

The _Awakenings_ _DLC_ had happened then. It was nice to know that the things that I knew from _home_ were still relevant here in this time.

She grinned, "That is exactly what I'm talking about!"

"Any in particular?"

She only laughed and took me by the hand, dragging me off towards a tower that I assumed was her living quarters.

The interior was furnished simply, but there were Dalish motifs covering the walls and windows and a lovely plush, very clearly Fereldan blanket adorning the bed. A gift from Alistair it seemed. Despite the two of them being sort of separated by both distance and rank, the two had an incredibly strong relationship.

(There would be a wedding in the future, of that I was sure. Anora, despite not being Queen any longer was now an adviser to the throne and she was thriving in that position. She would be able to help Alistair wear the council down. And she supported Kana, the two were almost friends.)

"Obviously this is my room, there's a spare bed that you can take while you're here."

I nodded, following behind her as she opened a door off to the side of her room. It led down some stairs and into what seemed to be a laboratory. There was veil fire attached to the walls and it helped to illuminate the incredibly tall figure standing at a table in the middle of the room.

"Mallorn, meet the Architect."

"I would like to say it's a pleasure, but I'm not sure if that's the correct phrasing in this situation."

The Ancient Darkspawn Magister gave a low chuckle, "I do understand your point of view, but regardless it is nice to meet one of the people that the Warden-Commander speaks so highly of."

I turned to Kana, "And just what has she said?"

She playfully glared at me, "Just that you're a horrible morning person, you know how family works."

"Sue me that I don't enjoy mornings, the night is far more fun."

The Architect gave another chuckle, "We can talk after you have caught up with each other if that works well for the pair of you?"

Kana and I agreed and left the Ancient One to his own devices. Kana decided it would be good for me to know my way around and that I should be introduced to the newest Wardens under her command.

We ran into Oghren nearest the armoury.

"Oghren! You old sod! How have you been?"

The dwarf was without a bottle of ale on his person but was just as wide and as strong as a one-dwarf battering ram.

"Thorny!"

I was lifted from the ground in a breathtaking hug by the excited dwarf and spun in a circle.

"I've missed you!"

"Missed you too! Now put me down!"

He laughed as he did so, even more, when I stumbled slightly when he set me back down.

His roaring laughter must have gotten the attention of the other Grey Wardens that were close by as a crowd was beginning to form.

"Um, Warden-Commander? Who is this?"

That was a familiar voice, younger than I remembered it being and less wary of the world around them.

"Anders! Good, everyone seems to be here! Now I don't have to go hunting for everyone!" Kana was practically vibrating with energy and if she was a mage she would probably have been sparking all over the place.

She gestured towards me as she spoke, "This is my good friend Mallorn Tuile."

My name caused gasps, and one or two of them even stepped backwards.

"Do I have that awful of a reputation?"

Anders was the first to speak up and thankfully was one of the ones that didn't step back in fear.

"Not so much, no. Rumours are a powerful thing though."

"That is true."

A different voice came from Anders' mouth as he glowed and lit blue. "Rumours don't show the true person however, so it is wonderful to meet someone both Kana and Valour speak so highly of."

I wasn't sure what to say other than thank you as the rest seemed to lose their fear to greet me properly.


	5. thirsty

_A/N: This is definitely a part of the canon of The New World State. _

_I'm on a roll today!_

_I really hope that you enjoy this!_

* * *

Some couples have picnics, some go to the beach. Back home some even go to the movies or even the theatre or opera. But not many people watch, or more specifically people watch for those we both found attractive.

Most couples were not Zevran and me.

"What do you think of him?"

Zevran gave the man a long once over before shaking his head.

"He's married, and cheating on his wife."

"We're married."

"Yes _carina_, we are."

He slung an arm over my shoulders, drawing me closer to his chest.

"But we are a married couple who are looking at attractive people together, not by ourselves and without the other person knowing."

"Good point."

Zevran pointed towards a red-haired woman who was bending down to pick up a large hessian bag.

"What about her?"

"She's strong," I went to say more but the woman then dropped the large sack onto the foot of a passing elf on purpose, shouting at them to pick it up.

"No."

"I must agree."

Sitting in silence for a moment before we both spotted a dark-haired man with striking green eyes pick up a small child with the same hair.

"He is very easy to look at, don't you think?"

I hummed in the back of my throat in agreement.

"Do you think that child is his daughter or sister?"

"Sister by the looks of her."

We watched as the man took the little girl into the house, before closing the door behind them.

"How are we a married couple _so_ _damn_ _thirsty_?"

Zevran snorted, burying his head in my hair.

"Because we can appreciate the beauty of other beings."

We sat in silence for another few minutes, watching as the sun went down over the mountains.

"Shall we go to dinner?"

Zevran offered a hand, and I took it but not before placing a kiss on his knuckles. He laughed before pulling me to my feet and into his embrace.

"Let's!"


	6. freaky

_A/N: This was interesting to write, and I could definitely see something like a ritual like this within the canon of Dragon Age. The Ancient Elvhen could be a little different._

_I'm so close to the end of this challenge, so I really appreciate the time that you have taken to read this._

_Thank you!_

* * *

"Swap us back!"

"Why should I do that?"

Kana and I were glaring at a gleeful Morrigan, who had somehow activated an old ritual site just by walking through it barefoot. It had immediately latched onto the two closest elves and swapped our souls into the other's body.

"Oh dear."

That was Wynne, who had seen the switch happen and was now covering her mouth. From amusement or shock, Kana and I weren't too sure about.

"Come one, one of you has to have some idea of how to switch us back!"

Kana looked down at me through my grey-blue eyes, "It's different being this tall."

"I'm glad you seem to be enjoying yourself, but think of it this way. Do you really want Alistair to try and kiss me? While I'm wearing your face?"

She screwed her (or was it my?) face in a grimace.

"No, definitely not."

She turned to Morrigan and Wynne.

"Fix this please."

Wynne and Morrigan looked at each other and smiled.

"I'm sure there is something around here that will help."

There had better be.

It must have taken hours for us to figure out the ruins that surrounded the ritual site, but between the four of us, we managed it. And during that time I had developed a migraine from sensing darkspawn and the general feeling of having the Blight, whilst Kana had lost control of my magic thrice and had needed coaxing to stop her from setting fire to everything around her.

"I believe that we just have to reverse what we did in the first place."

I titled my (or was it Kana's?) head, "So we have to do everything backwards?"

"Yes, that seems to be the case."

Wynne replied, eager to see this through.

"Shall we begin?"

Morrigan cackled a classic evil villain laugh that would have scared the birds in the trees if they hadn't already fled because of the Blight.

"I want to be back in my own body, so yes. Let's begin."


	7. swooping

_A/N: I reckon this is an AU of my AU, and also the last little story in this series._

_I really hope that you've enjoyed these as much as I did writing them. It was a fun exercise and I definitely want to do it again next time._

* * *

I had thought about heading towards Haven when I saw the giant green hole in the sky, but I felt that I was needed more on the ground so to speak. I had sent a raven to Leliana informing her that I was ready to help out whenever she needed me, but I would be helping the refugees during the meantime.

I was fighting a group of Templars when a rift opened up in the middle of the group, right in the middle of one of the men. What happened was not pretty; it was as if the Fade itself had ripped open the man from the inside out. Blood went everywhere, including into the Fade and all over the man's companions.

"Mage!"

They really couldn't come up with anything more creative.

Having dealt with the Templars, I redirected the movements of the refugees coming through. I really didn't want any of them to get caught up with the Fade Rift and even though the demons were biding their time they would be able to feel the desperation and fear of all those fleeing.

It would have been an easy meal for them with the refugees being at their most vulnerable.

I set up barriers around the rift and made camp in the trees behind it, waiting for Inquisition scouts to come through so that they would be able to send word of the rift to the one who bore the mark of Fen'Harel (not that they knew that of course, and I definitely wouldn't be the one to tell them that either. Solas had to do that.)

It was late at night when the moons were high in the sky when I felt the rift pulse. Once, twice. The fade flooded open, demons appearing out of the ground and flying through the rift.

"**_FOR THE INQUISITION!_**"

That was a familiar voice, and I knew then that the Inquisition had finally arrived.

* * *

Callon was exhausted, having already fought several different groups of Templars and Mages gone rogue and had already closed two rifts.

He was ready to fall asleep where he was standing when he felt his hand start to pulse again.

_Another rift. Great._

"There is another rift coming up." He called out to the other members of the party, who all groaned.

"Really? When are we going to be able to sleep?"

Varric groaned.

"Not yet I'm afraid."

Solas retorted back calmly to the dwarf. Callon was thankful for the other elf, with his calming presence being Creators sent over this past few weeks.

_"Get ready."_

Cassandra whispered to the others before charging at the rift.

"**_FOR THE INQUISITION!_**"

Callon and Kaiden worked well with each other, being more familiar with the others fighting style. Varric was used to working amongst a group of people who had essentially been thrown together, whilst Solas was used to fighting alone and Cassandra was used to the rigid structure of the Templars and Seekers.

Despite the familiarly or lack thereof of everyone's fighting styles, they were all at the brink of exhaustion and it didn't help that a very large Pride demon had suddenly stepped out of the Fade rift.

None of them had been expecting the blonde elf with a scythe bathed in lightning to come barrelling out of the woods, taking a flying leap at the demon and slicing it clean through with the blade.

Callon took that moment to seal the rift shut, collapsing onto his knees and taking several deep breaths.

Solas was the one who was least exhausted, probably because of all that sleep he managed to get. "Thank you for your help. Are you with the rebels?"

The other elf laughed, "No I'm not, I've just been helping out the refugees where I could and this rift popped up a few days ago. I've been redirecting civilians away from here since then."

Cassandra was glaring at the newcomer with suspicion, standing in a defensive position with her shield raised high.

"I sent word to Leliana that I'd be helping out here but it looks as if I'll be coming with you back to Haven."

"You know Leliana? Who are you?"

Cassandra demanded, still looking at her warily.

"Yes I know Leliana," The elf wiped the blade of her scythe down with a cloth, before throwing into the fire behind her. "I'm Mallorn Tuilë, nice to meet you all."


End file.
